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Quintessence

Quintessence

Lifestyle blog | Living Well with Style and Substance

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    • Books that I have collaborated on, as photographer, with design author Susanna Salk
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    • At Home with Dogs and Their Designers: Sharing a Stylish Life
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    • Making a House a Home: Designing Your Interiors from the Floor Up
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Art & Antiques

A Whirlwind Week of Design
Art & Antiques, Design, Interior design

A Whirlwind Week of Design

While spring is always bustling with events, this has been a particularly action packed week of design. I hope to be… Read More

First Look at the Sotheby’s Showhouse 2016
Antiques, Art & Antiques, Decorative Arts, Interior design, Style

First Look at the Sotheby’s Showhouse 2016

This week, At Home, the Sotheby’s Showhouse 2016 opened. Running through next Saturday, the third annual Designer Showhouse and Auction… Read More

AD Design Show Part 2
Art & Antiques, Interior design

AD Design Show Part 2

With such a wide and deep variety of categories, the AD Design Show makes picking just a few favorites a… Read More

Leon leon furniture
Art & Antiques, Design, Interior design

Favorite Finds at the Architectural Digest Design Show

Nature is the ultimate backdrop for any vignette as we saw in our look at going green at the Architectural Digest… Read More

Past Perfect: Richard Shapiro Houses and Gardens
Architecture, Art & Antiques, Books, Garden, Interior design

Past Perfect: Richard Shapiro Houses and Gardens

Enter Richard Shapiro’s new book Past Perfect and prepare to be transported. Dive into its pages of exquisite photography by Jason… Read More

Inside Venice
Architecture, Art & Antiques, Books, Design, Garden, Interior design, Travel

Inside Venice

Celebrating the best of Venetian decorative arts, Inside Venice offers us a private view of the city’s most beautiful and rarely seen… Read More

La Tuile à Loup
Art & Antiques, Decorative Arts, Gifts, Interior design, Travel

La Tuile à Loup

In the heart of old Paris, in the 5th arrondissement, La Tuile à Loup has been a go-to source for… Read More

Rajiv Surendra Letters in Ink
Art & Antiques, Design

Rajiv Surendra Letters in Ink

If you have received your March issue of House Beautiful, you have no doubt noticed the amazing artwork of Rajiv Surendra…. Read More

Antiques & Garden Show of Nashville
Art & Antiques, Garden, Interior design, Travel

Antiques & Garden Show of Nashville

The Antiques & Garden Show of Nashville is a much anticipated event of the season. A highlight of not only… Read More

Quick Peek at Nashville
Art & Antiques, Garden, Interior design, Travel

Quick Peek at Nashville

I’ve just arrived back from a whirlwind trip down south and wanted to at least give you a quick peek at what I saw in… Read More

2016 Antiques and Garden Show of Nashville
Art & Antiques, Books, Design, Food and drink, Garden, Interior design, Travel

2016 Antiques and Garden Show of Nashville

I am very excited to be heading south this weekend to the Antiques and Garden Show of Nashville where I will… Read More

Year of the Monkey
Art & Antiques, Gifts, Interior design

Year of the Monkey

Monday marks Chinese New Year with the Year of the Monkey, the ninth animal in the Chinese zodiac cycle. For… Read More

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Charleston has a way of drawing people back again Charleston has a way of drawing people back again and again—and homes like this remind us why.
Tag along as designer @michaelmitchelldesigner welcomes us inside his gracious home, where layers of history, thoughtful collecting, and a deeply personal approach to design make every room a reflection of both its owner and the city itself.
LINK IN PROFILE.
One of my favorite things about setting a table is One of my favorite things about setting a table is that it never has to begin from scratch.

The most beautiful tables are collected over time—mixing old favorites with new discoveries, heirlooms with contemporary pieces, and the things you’ve loved for years with something that brings fresh perspective.

For this table, I’ve paired PeterDunham + Hudson Grace’s (@peterdunhamdesign @hudsongracesf ) beautiful salad and bread plates and napkins with Blue Carnation dinner plates, table linens, glassware, and flatware from my shop, alongside a few favorite pieces from my personal collection.

I hope this table is a reminder that you don’t need everything to match—or come from one place. The magic is in the mix. Every new piece should make you fall in love with the pieces you already own all over again.

That’s the joy of collecting—and the beauty of a table that reflects your own story.

Shop the table through link in profile
Very excited to be returning to @eleishvanbreems o Very excited to be returning to @eleishvanbreems on Nantucket for a 2 day trunk show next Thursday and Friday! If on island, do stop by! There will be many new introductions you will be the first to see!!
Some homes are beautiful. Others tell a story. Th Some homes are beautiful. Others tell a story. 
The Yucatán home of interior designer @laurakirar and architect Richard Frazier @rwf333 is both -  a masterful reflection of its surroundings, where architecture, landscape, light, and craftsmanship come together in perfect harmony.
Tag along for a visit to this extraordinary retreat and discover how years of collecting, collaboration, and creative vision shaped a house that feels deeply connected to its place. LINK IN PROFILE
Wishing everyone a very happy Mother’s Day! 🌸 Flow Wishing everyone a very happy Mother’s Day! 🌸 Flowers from my thoughtful husband - all else from my shop (plates coming soon - DM to be notified).
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